Ink-well.



PATENTED APR. 24, 1906.

W. P. SWOPE.

INK WELL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.30,1906.

6, [NVL'N TOR,

' W/YNESSES:

A 'JTORNE Y5.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. WlL LIAM P. SWOTIFSVT/ENTON, KENTUCKY.

INK-WELL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed January 30. 1906. Serial No. 298,674-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. Sworn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Owenton, in the county of Owen and State of Kentucky, have invented a new'and useful Ink- Well, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ink-wells.

The object of the invention is to provide an ink-well having a novel form of reservoir combined therewith which shall perform the dual functions of supplying ink to the well and of closing the same when desired to prevent evaporation or thickening of the ink.

Further objects are to facilitate the filling of the reservoir, to combine it with the base of the ink-well in such manner as while it will be free to have movement relatively thereto it will be held against accidental disconnection therefrom and will positively preclude escape, and thus waste of ink, and to provide a novel form of pen-rack and envelop-and paper rack which shalf be capable of beim combined with or removed from the ink-well at will. I

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a reservoir ink-well, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a collective detail view in perspective of the ink-well and reservoir, showing the parts disconnected. Fig. 2 isa view in perspective with the parts assembled. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 4 is a view in rear elevation of the end of the base of the ink-well. Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation exhibiting the pen-rack and the envelop-and-paper rack combined therewith.

The base. 1, reservoirs 2 and 3, detachable ink-well 4, sponge-cup 5, and pen or pin tray 6 are made of any suitable non-corrosive substance, referably of glass, porcelain, or the like. T e base, which is herein shown as approximately rectangular inform, is provided with a marginal upstanding flange 7, a longi tudinal flange 8, and a transverse flan e 9, the said flanges being preferably all 0 the same height and serving to define seats 10, 11. 12, and 13, the seats 10, 12, and 13 being I of the same depth and the seat 11 being aptwice the depth of those first proximately1 T eseat 10 .is adapted to accomnamed.

ink-well 4, sponge-cup 5, and tray 6, the base is provided with orifices 14, 15, and 16, that extend entirely throu h it for-the purpose.

- In order to hold the in -well 4, sponge-cup 5,

and tray 6 properly combined w th the base, the first-named element is provided with a flange 17, the second with a flange 18, and the third with a flange 19, thatare of a size to fit snu ly within the seats 11, 12, and 13.

T is upper face of the seat 10 is provided with a longitudinally-disposed ink-distributing chamber 20, with two ink-wells or inkdips 21 and 22, the latter being of reater depth than the former, as shown in Fig. 3, and with a duct 23 connecting the chamber and the wells. The ink-well 4 is provided with a similar ink-distributing chamber 24, with an-ink-well or ink-dip 25 and a duct 26 connectin the chamber and the well.

Each of the ink-reservoirs is provided on that side which will be the under one in use with a neck 27 and 28, respectivel that are adapted to work within the ink-distributing chambers 20 and 24, but are of such length as not to contact with the bottom t ereof, as

clearly shown in Fig.

The seats 10 and 11 are of sufiiciently greater length than the reservoirs 2 and 3 as to permit them to be moved backward a sufficient distance to bring their front sides in alinement with the rear walls of the inkwells, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, thereby permitting the pen readily to be dipped into either one of the wells and when moved outward to a position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 to cover the wells. In practice the reservoir 2, which is the larger one, will contain black ink and the reservoir 3 will contain red or any other colored ink. .By having the reservoirs movable relatively to the wells it will be seen that when not in use these-may be always kept severed, thus to prevent evaporation of the ink or thickening thereof, whereby the ink is conserved, and the utilityof the article as a whole is largely enhanced.

To cause the reservoirs 2 and 3 to bear upon the seats 10 and 11 with sufficient force to secure a substantially air-tight juncture between the parts, there is a pressure-exerting member employed, which'consists of two arms 29, having their terminals provided with inturned flanges 30, and a bar 31, connecting the arms and rovided with two pairs of oppositely-disposed spring-fingers 32, that are adapted to bear upon the upper sides of the reservoirs 2 and 3, respectively. As herein shown, the lower portions of the arms, or those carrying the flanges 30,are broader than the bar and are provided'with inset bends 33, thatniare provlded for the purpose of permittin the arms to lie close' to the outer sides 0 the two reservoirs, as shown in Fig. 3, thus to cause them always to remain in engagement with the seats and 11. The flanges en age lateral seats 34, provided in the sides of t e base, and as the pressure-exerting member is made of resilient metal therewill be no danger of the parts becoming disconnected in use.

Each of the arms 29 adjacent to the flanges is provided with longitudinal slots 35, that are adapted to be engaged bythe inturned toes 36, formed on the lower ends of the arms 37 of a pen-rack, which, as shown, is provided with two inclined members 38, having penholder-seats 39, formed therein. The members 38 are connected by a cross-bar 40, preferably integral therewith, from which depends a member 41, having its lower end provided with an inturned flange 42 to enga e a seat 43 in the rear end of the base, an b this arrangement the" en-rack is held cs1- tively and yet detacha ly combined wit the.

pressure-exertin member and with the base.

As a matter of ther and specific improve: ment there is provided an envelop-arid-paper rack, which consists of two members 44 and 45, the u per end of each of which is rovided with a c ip element 46, adapted by 'ctional engagement with the bar 40 to be held detachably combined therewith. 5 Each mem- )er 44 45 has its lower portion bent at right angles to its length, as at 47, and thence parallel with the member 44 45, as at 48, forming in conjunction with the member 44 45 a paper-rack. A member 49 is secured to each of the members 48 and forms in conjunction therewith an envelop-rack.

The reason for having the ink-reservoir 4 detachable is that when the reservoir 3 .is to be combined with or positioned u 011* the base that the latter has to be inverte and if the reservoir 4 were not detachable when this procedure takes place the ink contained therein would flow out.

Inpositionin the reservoir 2 with the base the former is led with ink. The base is then inverted. The neck 27 is then placed- -within the distributing-chamber 20 and fit- .ted snugly in the seat 10, and the base is then brought to its normal position, whereupon the ink' will feed gradually from the reservoir into the chamber 20, and thence throu h the "duct 23 to the wells 21 and 22. To l the reservoir 3, the same procedure is pbserved and wi It will be noted by reference toFig. 3 that the ink inthe two wells will remain at a uni" form depth, thus causing the pen to take just enough and never too much, the large well being shallow for small pen-points and the smal well being deep'for large penoints; but at no time can a en be dippe deep enough for a point to ta e up enough of ink to cause it to bleed or blot.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that althou h the improvements herem defined are simp e in character they will be thorou hly efficient for the purposes designed Tl result in the productlon of an inkstand that will retain inkin the best possible condition for use and without waste for an extended period.

1 claim 1. An article of the class described com prising a base having ink-wells of different depths, and a superposed ink-reservoir, one of the parts being movable relatively to the other to open or c ose the wells.

'2. An article of the class described com-' prising a base'provided' with a plurality of ink-wells of different depths, and a superposed ink-reservoir movable upon the base to open or close the ink-wells.

3. An article of the class described comprising a base provided with an ink-well and.

- with upstanding marginal flanges, a su erposed. ink-reservoir mounted for 'longitu inal movement upon the base to cover or uncover the ink-'well, and being limited in its movements by the flanges, and yielding means for holding the reservoir combined with the base.

4. An article of the class described comprising a base embod g a fixed and a removable ink-welL'an ink-reservoirs super posed upon the base and movable thereon to cover or. uncover the ink-wells.

'5. article of the class described comprising a base embodying a plurality of inkwells of different depths, one of which is de- 'tachably combined with the base, and superposed ink-reservoirs movable-relatively to the base to cover or uncover the ink-wells.

6. An article of the class described comprisinga base provided with an ink-well, an

ink-reservoir superposed upon the base and movable thereon to cover or uncover the well, a pressure-exerting member coactlng with the reservoir and having a detachable connection with the base, a pen-rack detachablycombined with the pressure-exerting member, and a paper-and-envelop rack detachably combined with the pen-rack. A I

7. An article of the class described comprising a base provided with an ink-well and with terminal and lateral seats, an ink-reser voir movably mounted upon the basto cover or uncover the inkwel1, a pressure-exerting member coacting with the reservoir and hav-- ing inward-projecting flanges to engage the l lateral seats and having slots adjacent to l the flanges, a pen-rack having inward-prol jecting toes to engage the slots and a flange 1 to engage the terminal seat, and a combined paper-and-envelop rack having clip members I to engage with the pen-rack. l

An article of the class described, coml prising a base provided With a plurality of l ink-Wells, superposed ink-reservoirs movahly l mounted upon the base to open or close the l ink-wells and a fastening device (or securing the reservoirs to the bases 9. An article of the class described eornl &

prising a base having ink-Wells therein and l'langes si'irrounding the Wells and extending upward from the base, and a superposed inkreservoir disposed above each Well and held against displacement b the flanges, said reservoirs being detachable from the base to open or close the wells.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto ailixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses:

WILLIAM P. SWOPE. lYitnesses:

VVAL'rER WILnorrE, H. W. ALEXANDER. 

